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Flooring
Floors can be a challenge to install, maintain and change. Questions regarding the installation, maintenance and repair of carpets, tile, wood and other materials go here.
6,242 Questions
What is the average cost of labor to install laminate flooring in a house?
It varies greatly from product to product and from market
to market. The best way to get an answer is to put an ad on Craigslist
telling what you want installed, the more detail you can give the better the quote will be... ie..
"3/4 inch, unfinished oak hardwood over wood subfloor,
new construction, 400 sq feet, need it done this week, paying cash.".
The lesson here is that the more detail you put in the ad, the better the quote.. You will have to understand that not every installer has Golden Hands, some are thieves & butchers, so you may not always want the low bidder..
Where on the Janka Wood Hardness Scale is Mango Wood?
The Janka Hardness Scale rates the hardness of hardwood flooring and bamboo as well. You can read more about the Janka Scale and see a list of the Janka Hardness Ratings from FindAnyFloor here http://www.findanyfloor.com/hardwood/JankaHardnessRatings.xhtml
Do you need to remove all adhesive before you lay tile?
It depends on what kind of tile and what kind of adhesive it is. Adhesives(like latex) can react with portland cement products like (thin set),that cause gassing that in time will break the bond on the tile. there are mastic products that don't react with latex.
How long does it take to put laminate wood flooring in a house?
As long as one has all the correct tools and knows what they are doing, the actual laying of the laminate goes very fast. Follow the instructions that come with the tiles and over 1000 square feet can be done in a couple days.
Can you install ceramic tile on a paint wall?
You can in areas like a kitchen back splash. Just use a mastic glue. Don't tile over drywall in areas prone to high moisture, such as a shower, tub or floors.
How do you remove spraypaint from wood floors?
Try Crypton, It has probably been a very long time since you cleaned your cushions, because there has been no product made specifically for that purpose. When we discovered that, knowing that Crypton Fabrics promises cleanliness, our chemist and textile experts developed a cleaner specifically for water cleanable upholstery. This amazing cleaner works on anything, not just Crypton.
How do you remove laminate flooring that was put down and glued to the floor?
Depending on the sub-flooring and the quality of the linoleum the job will be easy or a "Bear." It really isn't the floor covering that is difficult it is the adhesive used. the linoleum should come off relatively with little effort it is the adhesive that is tough.
Depending on your situation and the condition of the floor structure, consider using a razor to remove small areas that are bubbled or curling, then fill in those areas to level and then consider adding another layer of 1/4 inch plywood to supply a new base for your replacement flooring.
If the addition of a new underlayment is not an option, scraping the existing adhesive is possible (please wear a mask.) Good Luck.
Douglas
Before you start setting tile can you use mortar as a thin set?
The question is not clear in respect of scenario. However, the base the tile is to be fixed should be level and sound. The fixative should be correct for the environment the tile is to be used in i.e. water proof in a bathroom. The surface for fixing to should be of a nature that allows the fixative to adhere correctly. The information for this is supplied by the manufacturer.
What do you call a tapestry like rug?
aubusson
Tapestry rugs are sometimes referred to as tapestry throws, tapestry wall hangings, or just plain tapestry rugs. Many tapestry rugs come in variety of styles and designs.
As mentioned above, Aubusson tapestries are from the city of Aubusson, France where tapestries have been made since the late 1500's. Many of the tapestries that came from this region depicted scenes of the local landscape as well as hunting scenes and floral arrangements.
Can you varnish ceramic floor tiles?
No, ceramic is a glazed product. It has no pores and would not allow the varnish to adhere the the surface.
How much does hardwood floor installation cost?
The average professionally completed refinishing job including labor costs $3.32 to $3.70 per square foot in 2014. This works out to $2,656 to $2,960 to refinish 800 square feet of hardwood floors. If you have a larger area, the cost will go up.
What is the thickness of plywood?
Plywood comes in many thicknesses from 1/8 inch right up to 1,1/2 inch. Standard in Canada now is 12.5 mm . My favorite plywood store, Smith Plywoods in Surrey BC, has many thicknesses, many grades, and over 100 different facings on plywood. You can get almost any hardwood on the face of their sheets.
What are hand scraped wood floors?
When answering the question, "what is a hand scraped wood floor," the answer could be vague but I prefer to provide a few specific answers.
Hand Scraped Wood Floors could refer to a prefinished wood floor with a distressed texture and finish or to a solid wood floor finished on site with an actual hand-scraping technique followed by stain and sealer.
If you think that Hand-Scraped Wood Floors are a fad and they're going to fade away into the annuls of interior design history next to shag carpet and lime appliances, think again. Hand Scraped Wood Floors are a hand-made tradition in the United States that point back to a time when all homes had solid wood floors. I'm talking the 1800's. Back then, there were no engineered, prefinished wood floors. Only solid materials from solid trees, milled into tongue and groove lengths. These floors were installed the old-fashioned way, by hand using a hammer and nails. With these plank wood floors, a craftsman would level the planks with a planing technique and/or sanding. Then the craftsman would stain the floors by hand and protect the floors with a paste wax.
What will I see today if I ask for Hand-Scraped Wood Floors? If you were to walk into a flooring showroom today and ask to see hand scraped wood floors, the salesman may walk you over to a very nicely appointed display and show you a brand name, prefinished, engineered wood flooring product which has a "distressed" or simulated hand-scraped finish. Are these floors true hand-scraped floors? No. These are made in a high tech factory somewhere most likely in the far east and a machine provides the distressing texture to the wear layer of wood, followed by a stain and finished with multiple coats of aluminum oxide finish. While most of these engineered hand scraped wood floors are attractive, they fail to provide a true distressed finish. After all, the purpose of a distressed finish was to have something that doesn't look bad if it gets a little beat up.
Solid wood floors are still being installed today in the United States but they don't benefit from the kind of marketing support that the engineered products enjoy. Solid wood floor materials are typically sourced locally through a wood flooring broker or supplier, they are installed by a highly experienced crew of technicians, then are finished with either a "sanded finish," "hand-scraped across the grain," or "hand-scraped with the grain" texture. Just like the good old days, these floors are stained by hand with whatever the customer selects, and then the floors are protected with multiple coats of sealing and finishing polyurethane. There are two main varieties of polyurethane and if you want to read more about them, take a look at this article: http://www.http://www.squidoo.com/handscrapedwoodfloors.
What technique is used to produce the hand-scraped look?The actual technique involved in developing the hand-scraped texture certainly differs among technicians but I'll describe what I've personally seen and done. The tool is as important as the technician. I use a heavy duty (preferably steel body) paint scraper with a 4-sided 2-inch wide steel blade and a 16" long steel handle. The craftsman will sharpen the blade with a fine file until the blade is very very sharp, usually rounding the edges to prevent gouging the wood. The blade can take a flat shape or a more aggressive convex shape, depending on what the finish is to look like. The target floor (in most cases Red Oak) is worked in 4 foot by 4 foot sections. First, the area is dampened with water using a towel or sponge. Starting at the left side of the section, the technician will place the blade down on the floor, holding the handle in the right hand and putting significant downward pressure on the blade with the left hand. The tool is pulled and scraped along the surface of the wood (either across or with the grain) in a very straight line with as much or as little pressure as is needed to create the desired affect. The scrape runs are done parallel to one another, creating a distressed texture all the way across the target work area. The dampened surface will tell the technician which areas he might have missed. After the floor has been completely scraped, the scrapings will be swept up and the floor will be smoothed out with an 80-grit sanding screen on a floor maintainer. This will help to remove any splinters or unusually rough areas. The floors are then swept, vacuumed, tacked, and stained. As far as staining and sealing, the technique is the same as a sanded finish wood floor.
Why would anyone want to take a paint scraper to the surface of their solid wood floors? Well, if you haven't seen it in person you may not understand. It's really beautiful. The depth, character, rustic features, and hand-made appeal are difficult to completely replicate in a prefinished product. A big reason why hand-scraped wood floors are so appealing is that dents and scratches don't show up as easily when compared to the smoother sanded finish. But this is only the case for site finished floors and not the prefinished variety. Prefinished wood floors tend to show any signs of scratches and dents and surface repairs are impossible. This is not the case with site finished floors. The real site finished floors can be touched up easily by the homeowner or a technician. Even a simple touch up stain and light coat of sealer can make a bad scratch virtually disappear.
Does the value add up? Keep in mind that solid wood floors hold their value better than some engineered products. Usually because the solid floors can be fully sanded and refinished multiple times in their life, providing 50 or 100 or more years of service in a well-maintained environment. They're easy to repair and will probably be the last floor you will ever need to buy. The downside is they are a little messy and inconvenient when compared to the prefinished variety. This makes the prefinished product a more appropriate fit when the cost of inconvenience is just too high.
What types of Interior Design styles will hand-scraped wood floor accommodate? Just about any traditional American home, Rustic Western, French Country, American Colonial, Spanish, or Old World European. When a homeowner is going for a design which incorporates the look of handmade craftsmanship and warm ruggedness, the hand-scraped finish plays well.
If you're looking for a lightly rustic or moderately rustic finish in wood floors, authentic hand-scraped wood floors may be a good choice for you. Installed and finished prices start around $10.00 per square foot and may vary depending on what part of the country you live in and what options you select. Wood species, plank size and polyurethane type are all important factors to consider when looking at a solid, site finished wood floor and will contribute to the overall price of your flooring project.
When you're looking at wood floors, consider the real thing. Real, hand-scraped wood floors.
Content provided by HSW Floors and can be found on the web at www.hswfloors.com.
Can you use cardboard as underlayment for laminate floor?
We used newspaper instead and it worked great. You can handle to imperfections in your subfloor better with paper.
Check out raisingthecircus.wordpress.com for details.
What does one square foot of hardwood flooring weigh?
The weight of an actual wood flooring will depend on the wood specie being installed.
A loose grain wood will be lighter in weight than a tight grain. Most exotic hardwood floorings, such as Brazillian Cherry and Ipe are heavier in weight, compared to flooring harvest in the North American regions like Oak and Maple Flooring.
Can you laminate craft foam sheets with the same laminator used for paper lamination?
Yes, you can. I think the link below will be especially helpful to you in the procedure as well as displaying available products towards achieving that end.
Can you glue tile on top of tile?
Sure can, but if its waxed tile you should rough it up unless there's a chance its got asbestos in it. Then use a primer sealer over that top to give the glue something to bind to. Also remember that the new tile is only as good as the old tile that's down. If the old stuff comes loose your new tile job is shot.
What is the difference between linolium and laminate flooring?
Linoleum is a continuous sheet, a sort of a vinyl with a bit of give to it.
Laminate is a series of slats joined together, sort of like formica with a masonite backer.
There's a lot more seams for liquids to leak into in laminate then linoleum.
The working lives are about the same for each, but as most laminates are floating systems and linoleum is glued down, the laminate will be cheaper to replace when the time comes.
Wenge is a species of wood not a finish, Typically it is a very dark wood with some examples almost ebony in appearance. It comes from a tree that grows in the African continent.
Can you install laminate flooring over styrofoam?
I think you can. I am doing this exact thing. I have ordered foamular600 from Owens which has a 60psi compression strength. I think that this is plenty to support the flooring.
Can you glue wood flooring to concrete subfloor?
I would not. The wood has to expand and contract with temp changes. Your floor will buckle if you do.
Can you install hardwood flooring over existing hardwood flooring?
It shouldn't be done. Part of the instalation process is testing for humidity and you won't be able to get an accurate reading. It should be places right on top of the concrete floor under the laminate flooring with a layer of padding and vapor barrier plastic in between. I prefer to get them as one piece, less work. Taking out the laminate is also important to identify any uneven spots in the floor and then to fix them. Taking up the laminate is a quick process with the right tool.
